Nativity: A Dream of Courage
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Of the increase of his government and of peace, there shall be no end. On David's throne and on his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of armies will perform this. Isaiah 9, 7 Dear Lord,

This season we rejoice in the birth of Christ, whose arrival was foretold by the prophets and whose reign will never end. We stand in awe of your divine plan, so beautifully unfolded in that humble manger. Your redemption plan brings hope, peace, justice, and eternal life to all who believe. As we decorate our homes with lights, sing carols, and share gifts,

Let us also share the message of Christ's eternal kingdom, a kingdom built on love, mercy, and righteousness. Help us to be ambassadors of this kingdom here on earth, extending your peace and joy to all around us. In the name of Jesus, whose birth we celebrate and whose return we await, we pray. Amen. Thank you for praying with me today.

Stay here and be swept away in the Christmas story in Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider. Joseph's heart was a storm of emotion. His dreams shattered, trust broken, and love betrayed. The news of Mary's pregnancy had been a blow unlike any other. Anger, confusion, and a profound sense of loss gnawed at his soul.

He lay down on a grassy hill, where he and Mary had once shared dreams and made promises to one another. Lying on the soft earth, he looked up at the stars. Those distant beacons of hope and guidance seemed dull, dimmed by his grief and anger. His mind replayed their meeting earlier in the day. He could still see the look of regret in Mary's eyes. Or was it sorrow?

Her father's stern and unyielding voice echoed in his ears, granting him the right to stone her. The very thought sent a shudder through him,

How had they come to this? Tears welled in his eyes, and he clenched his fist, wrestling with helplessness and anger. And yet, through it all, he couldn't ignore the look in Mary's eyes. She didn't carry herself like someone who had done something wrong. Was there somehow more to this story that he just couldn't grasp? A fatigue slowly overcame his restless mind. He drifted into a fitful sleep. His last thoughts were a prayer for clarity, guidance, and mercy.

Hello and welcome to another Christmas episode of Stories of the Messiah. I'm Rabbi Schneider from Discovering the Jewish Jesus, here to guide you through this tale of adventure, faith, and fate. The Christmas story is not merely a tale of miraculous events, but also a narrative filled with complex human emotions, decisions, and divine interventions.

One such profound moment is captured in Matthew 1, verses 20 through 24, where Joseph, a carpenter from Nazareth, receives a dream that would alter the course of his life and the history of mankind. Mary's unexpected pregnancy had shaken Joseph's world, and he was on the verge of leaving her quietly. In our last episode, we talked about the crossroads Joseph was at.

He would enact judgment or show mercy. Because Joseph was a kind man, he chose mercy. Yet he still wrestled with anger and confusion. It was at this juncture that God intervened through a dream, where an angel of the Lord appeared to him saying, "'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'" Matthew 1.20.

This dream was a revelation of God's divine plan, a reassurance, and a call to a sacred responsibility. Joseph was chosen to be the earthly father of the Savior, a vital role in the Christmas narrative that required qualities of exceptional magnitude. Joseph's dream was a call to action. God often speaks to us in our most painful struggles.

When disappointment abounds, so do opportunities for the voice of God to lift us to embark on a grand adventure. Let's immerse ourselves now and get caught up in the magnitude of Joseph's dream. This dramatic retelling of Matthew 1 will take us through visions of chaos and prophecies of redemption.

Like Joseph, we will be faced with awe and inspiration to do what's right instead of what's easy. Afterward, we'll unpack the story and mind the depth of the Christmas themes contained therein. In the depths of slumber, Joseph was caught up in a vivid and terrifying dream.

He found himself standing at the base of a dark and foreboding hill. Jagged rocks laced the trail ascending the mountain. Lightning flashed above it, revealing a brief and terrifying image of a tree. No, not a tree. Something else. Something more terrifying. Joseph couldn't quite make it out, so he moved closer. In the darkness, Joseph could see a silhouetted figure hanging from the tree.

He marched up the hill, working against the wind and rain. He stumbled and fell onto his hands and knees. Joseph looked at his hands in terror. The ground beneath him was soaked with a mixture of water and blood.

He screamed and looked up again at the top of the hill. The river of water and blood was running downward from the tree above. What is up there? he thought. The lightning flashed again with piercing light, and Joseph immediately found himself elsewhere.

He was at the base of a cave carved into the side of a mountain. All was quiet, and the only light source was from within the cave. Joseph followed the faint glimmer, keeping his balance on the cave's jagged walls. As he inched closer, the air became warmer, like a room filled with the comfort of a fireplace. The entire cave became filled with the scent of frankincense and myrrh. As Joseph navigated the cave, he could hear the sound of a child's cry.

Then, a hushing lullaby. The voice singing was gentle and soft, like the evening spring breeze. Joseph knew that voice. "Mary, is that you?" he gasped. Joseph picked up his pace and rounded the corner towards the light.

But before he could see anything, the cave flooded with water, and Joseph found himself swimming for his life amidst a violent storm in the middle of the sea. Waves and breakers crashed over him. He swam but made no progress. The waves thrashed, and the riptide dragged him down underneath. Joseph sank in a freefall into the black abyss until a current pushed him onto the shore. The storm subsided, and Joseph looked out at a golden sunset hovering over the glassy sea.

Suddenly, a luminous figure appeared before him, an angel standing upon the glassy water. His eyes were filled with wisdom and compassion. Joseph was struck by awe and reverence. Fear not, Joseph, son of David. What is conceived in Mary is of the Holy Spirit.

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." The words wrapped around Joseph like a warm embrace, filling him with an understanding that transcended earthly wisdom. Joseph wanted to ask questions, but he couldn't speak. Instead, his gaze was turned to the sea. The sunset's colors painted the glassy water with images of prophecy, promise, and divine love.

He saw his forefather, David, and the mighty temple. He saw a humble child, a mighty king, a savior, and a servant. He saw Mary, her face radiant with grace, her role in the divine plan, both beautiful and burdensome. Joseph was left with a profound sense of peace, a clarity that resonated through every fiber of his being.

He knew what he must do. The sea receded into the sunset as if gravity's force was pulling it backwards. A great wall of water loomed over him. Then, with a mighty crash, the ocean fell onto Joseph. He awoke with panic, confusion, and awe. The night was quiet, and the light of the stars was replaced with the rising sun's first light.

Joseph stood to his feet and wiped the sweat from his brow. The morning sun radiated over the hills, splashing the valley below with vibrant color. Joseph's once anxious heart was filled with excitement. He still didn't entirely know what was happening, but he knew God was on the move. Joseph's path was more evident now.

He would take Mary as his wife, trust in the Lord's plan and embrace this miraculous journey before them. For the child they would raise was not just a fulfillment of prophecy, but a beacon of hope and redemption for all mankind. The doubts and fears of yesterday were gone, replaced by faith, love and a determination to serve the will of the Most High. It wasn't the life Joseph imagined for himself. It was better.

Although struggle awaited him, it was the path to purpose. Joseph ran down the hill back to Nazareth with love in his heart and courage in his bones. This story offered us a dramatized version of Joseph's dream. Truth be told, we don't know the exact imagery of his dream, but we do know what God told him through the vision. The angel of the Lord came to Joseph and addressed him as, Joseph, son of David,

Does this title sound familiar to you? If you have read the Gospels before, you will know that "Son of David" is one of the many titles given to Jesus.

My ministry, Discovering the Jewish Jesus, is dedicated to following Old Testament prophecies and threads and seeing how they lead us to Yeshua or Jesus. This title, the Son of David, is one of those prophecies that we find first revealed in the Hebrew Bible and then its fulfillment in the B'rit Hadashah or the New Testament. Now continuing, both Joseph and Mary were descendants from the lineage of King David.

This holds significant weight since the Messiah was prophesied to come from the line of David. 2 Samuel chapter 7 mentions the Messiah coming directly from David's house or David's line. However, the title Son of David embodies more than a mere physical lineage. It acknowledges Jesus as a king greater than David. Isaiah 9 is one of the most famous Christmas prophecies we have. It reads like this,

For a child was born to us, a son is given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end. On David's throne and on his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever."

The zeal of Yahweh of armies will perform this. When individuals addressed Jesus as the son of David, their words were a testament to their faith in him. The Pharisees, entrenched in pride and self-righteousness, remained blind to the truth that others so readily accepted, and they became adversarial towards Jesus.

Jesus used the title "Son of David" to confound the Pharisees further, questioning how the Messiah, being David's son, could be addressed as "my Lord" by David himself. The puzzle exposed their lack of understanding regarding the Messiah's true nature. This event illuminates the deeper meaning of the title. The Messiah is more than David's physical son. He is greater than David.

And as stated in Revelation 22:16, he is both the root and the offspring of David. Joseph was the right man to raise God's Son, not just because he was from the line of David, but because he was a man of integrity, courage, and obedience. Joseph's immediate response to his dream was obedience. He was not merely accepting Mary, he was accepting God's call to be part of a divine mission.

To take Mary as his wife amidst societal expectations and norms would require immense courage. Joseph's courage was founded on faith, trust in God's word, and his understanding of the enormity of God's plan. These qualities made his forefather David a beloved and influential king.

Being the stepfather of Jesus, knowing the child was not his own, yet embracing him as his son, was an act of unmatched bravery. It required putting aside personal emotions, fears, and societal judgments. The story of Joseph's dream interweaves themes of divine intervention, obedience, faith, courage, and human cooperation with the divine will.

It reminds us of God's sovereign plan and the individuals chosen to participate in it. As we celebrate Christmas, may we reflect on Joseph's role in the Christmas narrative, his courage, bravery, and integrity. May we be inspired to live with similar faith, to heed God's call in our lives, and to act with integrity and bravery, embodying the true spirit of Christmas.

The story of Joseph's dream is a timeless reminder that God's plans are perfect and he equips those he calls, even in the most unexpected circumstances. In our next episode, Joseph will approach Mary and they will fight against culture and slander together. Their union will strengthen them for the trials ahead and provide an on-ramp for Jesus to be born.

Now, if you want more resources on Jesus and the Old Testament, visit us at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Another resource you might find impactful is my new book, Messianic Prophecy Revealed, Seeing Messiah in the Pages of the Hebrew Bible, which can be found on my website.

If you enjoyed today's podcast, leave us a review and share it with a friend. We want the story of the Bible and the hope of Jesus to be spread worldwide. To make prayer a priority in your life and hear more stories of hope that inspire, visit pray.com.